12 Tips for Easy Labor and Delivery

Childbirth is an important milestone event in the life of a mother. It is very important that the mother is calm and free of stress, for an effortless labour and normal delivery of the baby. Here are a few simple tips on how to give birth easily that can be followed during the period of pregnancy and labour.

How to Make Labour and Normal Delivery Easier?

1. Have Dates

Studies have shown that having dates is beneficial towards having an easier and faster labour experience. Having around 6 dates per day every day around a month before the due date has been proven to be beneficial during labour as it is supposed to have a chemical compound similar to oxytocin, the hormone that causes contractions. Dates have also been proven to dilate the cervix and thus help in undergoing an effortless and quick childbirth process.

2. Do Squats Daily

Squats is the most beneficial exercise for every woman looking forward to delivery close to their due date. Due to its role in facilitating smoother deliveries, squats are considered to be the best exercise for easy labour. The best way to do squats is using a medicine ball, keeping it between the lower back and the wall and rotating the toes and knees as wide apart as possible. It is recommended to do 15 squats daily in this position for expecting mothers to have a great delivery experience.

3. Sleep Adequately and Regularly

Among all the tips on how to make labour easier and faster, this is the easiest to follow and is the most effective. As discussed earlier, such a stressful and important event like labour requires calmness from the mother’s end. Only a well and adequately rested person can adapt to such a scenario seamlessly. An expecting mother should sleep at least seven hours or more every day for a faster and smoother labour experience. The sleeping experience should be enhanced with soft, skin-friendly pillows and recliner beds for the comfort of the mother and the child.

4. Consider Water Birth

This can be an effective birthing technique if water soothes and calms the expecting mother down during labour. Many of the times, it has been seen to have this effect on women in labour. Water is also supposed to calm tense muscles and help in the dilation of the cervix and thus helping with the delivery. This is the reason why most of the major hospitals have birthing pools and tubs for this very purpose. This is also considered to be a good way to help the child transition into the outside world.

5. Stay Upright during Labour

Rather than lying down and trying to push, it is considered to be better to stay upright on the bed and push. This is because gravity plays to the advantage of the mother and child as the child’s head pressing against the cervix due to gravity helps it in dilating faster and more easily. A variety of positions can also be tried out, like kneeling, squatting and standing to see what gives the best results during labour. Movement of the body also helps widen the pelvis helping the baby’s head to pass through easily.

6. Take a Childbirth Class

Pregnancy is a mentally and physically taxing period for expecting parents where there is a lot of new things to be learnt and a lot of responsibilities to be understood as well as the do’s and don’ts of parenting. Hence, it is always good to be prepared for the moment of childbirth well in advance to make sure everything goes perfectly and according to plan. A childbirth class also relieves pressure that can be faced by dealing with the unknown and helps the partners be prepared for everything from the water-breaking to the cutting of the umbilical cord. A childbirth class can also be beneficial in providing easy labour tipsto make the whole process simpler and faster.

7. Practice Breathing Techniques

Labour is an extremely painful experience for any woman. Breathing helps the woman in labour to adapt to the pain better and also helps in relaxing her. Breathing also helps in setting rhythmic contractions and helping the woman to push better and more efficiently. Breathing also ensures that the body has enough oxygen and the mother does not pass out due to the astronomical labour pain and cramps due to her contractions.

8. Have a Good Support Team

In the stressful situation of labour, every mother should be accompanied by her partner to give support and positive reaffirmations for a better result. It has also been noticed that women in labour who have a doula (a woman trained to support women in labour) are less likely to encounter epidural or C-sections and experience a seamless and smooth childbirth. The doulas need to be interviewed properly so that only a woman who is really comfortable with the couple is selected to comfort the couple during their most intimate and beautiful moments.

9. Distract Yourself

The first-time labour for an average woman is a time taking affair, ranging from anywhere between 12 to 15 hours. Breathing in and out rhythmically and trying to get contractions all this while can wear out the mother. It is better to try out something else that can be distracting, soothing and relaxing in between, like taking a shower or listening to music. This can dramatically help in speeding things up and provide an easier delivery experience.

10. Ask for a Massage

It would be great for a woman in labour at times to get a massage from her partner when she feels like it. This can help in reducing the pain sensations in the brain and helping in calming the numbing pain that the woman is going through during labour. And a massage from the partner has a psychological effect too wherein the woman feels cared for and supported by her partner. This also helps in speeding up the process a lot.

11. Take Walks

Along with squats, walking is a great exercise for a woman in the later stages of pregnancy to help her to have an easy delivery. Walking also helps in pushing the baby down towards the cervix and helps faster childbirth. It is also researched upon that walking helps in releasing oxytocin, which can help with the contractions and labour. This is an activity that should definitely be tried by all mothers who are in their later stages of pregnancy as it has a lower impact and is easier to do than squats.

12. Consume Vitamin-Rich Foods

Vitamins like A, B, C and E are vital to maintain hormonal balance in the later stages of pregnancy as well as to tone the uterus to have a speedy normal delivery with little to no medical interventions. Vitamin K is also essential for expecting mothers because it helps in blood clotting and reduces the chances of haemorrhage after birth, which can be fatal for the mother. Vitamins A, B, C and E must be consumed naturally through fresh fruits or vitamin supplements on a daily basis and Vitamin K must be consumed through leafy vegetables like spinach.

Following these 12 easy tips can help in making the childbirth experience simpler for expecting parents and bring out their precious ones quicker into this world.

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